Ice-block freezer



Apr., w, 11923. 1,451,376

H. J. SMITH ICE BLOCK FREEZER Original Filed June 5, 1920 it 5j 79 l' FEE x king" 73,4 Lillh 4" im l ln MM M I UW WI' NU. WWE M Patented Apr. l0, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE.

RAZOR J. SMITH, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND IESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, 0F ONE-FOURTH T0 WILLARD REID AND ONE-HALF TO ALFRED HASTINGS CHAPIN, BOTH 0F SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

ICE-BLOCK FREEZER.

Application led June 5, 1920, Serial No. 386,885. Renewed October 10, 1922. Serial No. 593,653.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HAzoR J. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ice-Block Freezers, of, which the following is a specification.

This invention relates tothe making of ice for use in connection with refrigeration 1 plants preferably of the private dwelling type and the ob]ect of the invention is to devise an apparatus whereby ice may be frozen into small pieces or blocks of prede termined sizev andshape such as is desirable to use in glasses to cool drinking Water.

The linvention consists essentially of an outer container or tub and an inner con-v tainer or can which is spaced from the tub and through which space the cooling or freezing medium is` ada ted lto be circulated. In the can which is a apted to receive the water to be frozen, there is placed an element dividing the can into` compartments which compartments are the `shapesinto 85 which it is desired to freeze the water. These compartments have relatively small connecting passages so that after freezing, the element encircled by its ice is removed from the can and the small bits of ice connecting the main lumps in the spaces are readily broken, whereupon the lumps or pieces of desired shape result. The element which is placed in the canpreferably has a central vertical stem from which extenda plurality of vertical and horizontal veins or blades. Y

I have illustrated that preferred embodi-l ment of my invention .which is the best of which I am at present informed, in the accompanying drawings in ,which- Figure 1 shows a vertical sectional view through the freezer, l

Fi 2 a' side elevation ofv the element 'Whic forms the ice cubes, and

Fig. 3 a plan view of that element.

In' the drawings, the numeral 11 vindicates the tub or outer container of the freezei` and 12 indicates heat insulati material carried between its walls. 13 mdicates ahol- M low cylinder connected at its bottom by means of a ipe 14 to the coolingiquidor gas iI a re gerating`p1ant and 15 indi- 'cates .t e :outlet for the cooling mediumf 'ch it would ow to the expander or other element in the refrigerating plant. Within the cylinder 13 is placed the ice can 16 but encircling the can 16 within the cylinder 13' is brine 17 .Y The ice can is provided with a top or cap- 18 and within the can is located the ice ycube or block forming element 19.

The block-forming element 19 is composed of a central stem-like portion 20 and this stem merges into a plurality of vertically extending blades or divisions 21, 22, 23 and 24, which blades are preferabl tapered to decrease i'n thickness as their ree' ends are approached. The blades are ofsuch a lWidth that they just clear the inner periphery of .the ice can 16 and they aire of such a length that they fit nicely within the length'of the can 16 and still provide room for a knob or han le, 25 carried 4by the top of the blockforming element. On the element 19, there are provided a plurality of horizontall'y'extending| blades such as 26 and 27, substantially triangular in plan view and which are tapered in thickness similar to the vertical blades or divisions 21 et seq. These blades such as 26 and 27 intersect the vertic'aldivisions such as 24 and they are preferably carried by opposite blades 22 and 24 whereas the otherdivisions 21 and 23 are free from such triangular blades.v In other words', the triangular horizontal blades are preferably carried by alternate vertical divisions or blades.

In operation, the block-forming apparatus 19 is placed in theV ice can 16 which in turn is located in the brine in the tub-1 1. The water to be frozen is putin the can andthe cover 18 applied to the can. The

refrigerating circuit 14 and 13 and 15 is then putinto operation, whereby the cool ing medium therein freezes the Water in theice can 16 solid. After it has solidified, the can is opened and the block-formin -apparatus 19 is removed by means of itsandle 25V and upon removal it is found that all the ice in the can has been frozen arond the apparatus 19 and the yapparatus, and l theice are removed as'a unit. Blocksof ice are found formed of a'shalle bounded on two intersecting 'Sides by t e vertical divisions such as y23 and 24 on opposite sides by blades such as 24 and on the fifth side by the curvature of the ice can. The.; blocks are held together by the small ico connection which forms between two adjacent blocks Where the Vhorizontal blades leave olf `but these connections can be readily broken whereupon the lblocks of ice Y of the desired shape readily result.

By my method I surround a brine well onl all sides with the refrigerating agent which circulates in a thin vshelled well or container.

The water to be frozen is lowered into the brine well in a thin walled containercircling a brine Well; an insulating well; aV

refrigeratin agent Well; a brine well; and a ywater wel What I claim is:

-1.`In combination` a can adapted to receive water to be frozen, a detachable ice block forming element within the can, comprisin a stem, blades carried by the stem exten ing outwardly to a point in proximity to thesides of the can. alternate blades havin webs at right angles thereto.

2. rhedevice of claim 1`r said webs being carried on that part of the blades remote from the stem, and terminating short of said stem.

In testimony whereof l affix my signature.

HAZOR J, SMITH.

. Witnesses:

WILLARD REID,

L. L. CowAN. 

